Was reading the thread about the circus, and was intrigued by the opinion of many of the bees. I am curious as to all the bees saying it was cruel because of it takes wild animals out of their natural habitat and make them perform. Does that mean you do not support zoos either?? Because while I understand that some zoos take really good care of the animals (just like some circuses do), there are just as many that keep the animals in small unsuitable habitats, feed them unnatural diets, and sometimes make them perforem shows (I’ve been to zoos doing exotic bird shows, tiger shows, lion feedings, whale performances, camel rides, elephant rides, etc. etc. ). Do you guys boycott all zoos as well, since some of those treat the animals unfairly and inhumanely? Just curious on everyone’s opinion.

Also, just food for thought. If you think zoos and/or circuses are cruel, what about people that own “wild animals” and make them perform? Such as horses, goats, cows/steers, rabbits, and other farm type animals. All of these animals were a wild animal at one point, and can still be found in the wild today, but people have them, train them and take them to shows, ride them, put them in unnatural habitats (at the very least while at a show, sometimes at home too ex. a rabbit in a cage, horse/cow/goat in a stall) Are these people cruel as well, with the animals being treated inhumanely?

Ps. Even if there are some zoos and circuses that you do not support becayse if care, but will go to good ones( that properly take care of the animals), please vote that you would support them. Im just interested because so many bees would not even go to a circus that took good care of the animals.

@qhaftershock: It really depends on the zoo. The San Diego wild animal park is vastly different than some horrible tourist trap in Asia. The reason I don’t support any animal circus, even ones that treat their animals well, is because wild animals shouldn’t be forced to do unnatural behaviors for profit.

@qhaftershock: I don’t support circuses which use animals at all. I do support some zoos.

For me, it comes down to this:

Circuses make animals do unnatural things purely for entertainment purposes. Even if the animals are treated well, they are still being forced to perform for people. I have huge issues with that.

Good zoos do not have the animals perform, or make them do unnatural things. They try to ensure that their environment is as close to a natural environment as possible, and, the good ones pump their profits into conservation projects and education.

I would not support a zoo which doesn’t use it’s profits for conservation projects etc, or which has non-educational shows (eg dolphin shows).

I am against the circus. I really only support zoos which have animals that would not otherwise survive in the wild. I don’t have a problem with farm animals provided they are treated well. I do have a problem with farm animals which are not treated well, however, and that is one reason I do not eat meat.

I support Zoos that take good care of their animals because of the education aspect. I think zoos really help instill a love of animals in people and really help promote conservation efforts by bringing people up close to the animals. It makes the idea that these awesome animals are vanishing less abstract.

It definitely depends on the zoo (i.e. cages versus natural enclosures) but ultimately, the good that a zoo does outweighs its potential harm to the animals. Making animals from other continents real and right in front of you makes it easier to identify with them and increases support for conservation and preservation of species and open land for those species to live on.

Circuses had their place back in the day when people didn’t know any better and the circus was the only place to see live animals from around the world. But zoos are just as, if not more, accessible today and provide much more natural environments and better care than a traveling circus.

@qhaftershock: I get concerened about the animals that are in a zoo that is not anywear near their natural habitats climate. Like in Toronto, what do they do with the animals from Africa (for example) in the winter?!

@qhaftershock: We go to the zoo. So I guess that means we support them? idk. I guess I can see some good in what the zoos do. they educate people and in many ways they help the animals they house. Those animals, in most cases, wouldn’t survive in the wild. some get medical care they wouldn’t otherwise get, there are breeding programs to help keep certain species going, etc. I feel like the zoos we have here in chicago are pretty good to the animals they house. the only shows they do at our zoos are with aquatic animals. And in that case, the trainers all look like they really care about the animals they are working with. I feel like if you go into that line of work you have to have a love of animals to some extent ya know? idk. Maybe im wrong but this is how I have looked at it thus far.

@housebee: I feel the same as housebee. Having been to a weird backyard zoo in the middle of nowhere British Columbia when I was a kid, made me pretty sad to think about. I never went to a zoo in Asia, but I did see some Sun-bears in an enclosure where they had been saved from zoos. I also went to an elephant refuge where many elephants had been saved from the dreaded tourist and logging industry.

I think if the zoo is making amazing efforts to save endangered species or educate the general public about these animals, I think it helps people care more about the environment. Also zoos can be a great place to breed endangered animals in captivity, so I think that is a great way to save some species.

If I hadn’t gone to the Vancouver Aquarium (in essence a zoo in water) when I was a kid, I would not have the love for the ocean like I do now. They created a program called OceanWise which promotes sustainably caught or farmed seafood, which I follow religiously. If I had never been there and seen all the life under the ocean, I’m not sure that i would feel as passionate about eating sustainable seafood.

However, I will never go somewhere where animals have to perform. Seaworld is the top of my list to boycott. I think it’s absolutely disgusting that they take whales and dolphins from the wild (The Cove, anyone?) to perform for our entertainment! Haven’t we effed up the ocean enough??

I do not support circuses, because they’re about animals doing unnatural things for profits and entertainment purposes. I don’t think it’s right to have animals perform for people.

I support zoos that are focused on education and conservation and that don’t have animals performing (like dolphins or elephants, for example). Obviously not all zoos are good, but I do support the ones where the animals come first, are well taken care of, and where the animals are in as close to their natural environment as possible.

I support zoos because of the education and conservation efforts they make. There are VERY few no kill zoos in the country, but if we don’t give kids the up close and personal view of animals, how will they ever respect, love, and care for them enough to try and save them?

I don’t support any form of animal entertainment because to me, there is no benefit. There is no education, conservation efforts, research…nothing. So what is the point? Pure entertainment? We can go see the human circus, a comedian, movie, play, musical, concert and be entertained without helpless animals being forced to perform.

@KingsDaughter: That was kinda part of my point. No matter how close we try to get to natural habitats we will never really come close. You can’t tell me that very many zoos have enough space in the elephant or giraffe enclosure to allow them to cover as much ground as they do in the wild. You can’t tell me that many if any zoos can afford to bring in enough exotic plants/meats to feed the animals their natural diets. What do most herbivores end up eating in zoos?? Hay, which is not natural to any of their diets. Not savannah grass, not leafy trees, but hay and the same hay we grow locally (My uncle used to sell to a zoo). That is not natural for them. I live in the midwest and I feel awful for the penguins and polar bears in the summer here. They are not equipped to handle the 100 degree days with humidity, so what do we do? Put them inside with air conditioning, which is not natural to them. There is no way we can really replicate any animals natural habitat except for the ones that are local to your area.

Our Zoo is great. My mom used to feel sad when she would take me as a child but they have done SO MUCH to make it a great place for visitors and animals now. I decided to go for my brithday this year and it was amazing – on the day we went they were doing all these different ‘enrichment activities’ for the lions and seals. They were having a blast and then they would explain to everyone what they were doing and why it was beneficial to the animal’s health and happiness. That one day at our zoo completely changed my mother’s POV and solidified mine.

@KingsDaughter: From what I’ve read, they have an indoor climate, but have the option to go outside in a smaller area that has been cleared of snow. Apparently, a lot of the animals (even elephants) enjoy the winter. The thing you have to remember is that 95% of the animals in the Toronto Zoo were born there, so they’ve been adapting for generations to the different climate. I’m not saying that’s right or how it should be.. it’s just the reality.

I grew up with a Siamese cat and obviously she’s naturally supposed to be in a warmer climate and LOVES the heat more than any other cat I’ve seen. However, she (and the generations before her) adapted to our climate and she does go outside in the winter for short periods of time. She obviously doesn’t play in the snow or walk around (she just sits on our deck), but she can handle the cold way more naturally than a Siamese cat that wasn’t born in this climate. I know it’s not the best example, but it’s what popped into my head.